Excerpts from the sermon
There are various categories of angels in Heaven, with references in the books of Ezekiel and Isaiah.
The Account of the Four Living Creatures:
Heaven is a place without sin and cannot tolerate sin at all. They were in charge of worship in Heaven, and they were second to God in terms of administration. They had eyes all around them and within them.
Because they had eyes all around them, they could see from afar and everywhere whatever was going on in Heaven.
They were placed in a strategic position in delivering their mandate, and they did that well. In the same way, God has placed us strategically to impact our spheres.
Because they had eyes all around them, they were watchful of themselves and others. Once we can check on others, we are also able to check on ourselves.
Because of their mandate, God also equipped them adequately to be able to execute the task. Likewise, God has also equipped us to be able to execute our mandate.
The Lion: They are the king of the jungle, meaning they rule or dominate their sphere or domain. The usage of animals doesn't mean that God desires to be like them. God doesn't need a totem to learn from.
The Oxen (Young Calf): They are very strong animals, and they demonstrate strength. This is to enable them to be able to withstand any attack or mishap. Sometimes, we think it is our strength that brings us to where we are, but our strength comes from God.
The Eagle: The eagle is a celestial being, and it takes dominance over terrestrial beings. They can capture anything that falls within their prey. The weakness of the eagle is its ego, and as the people of God, we can be successful to the point that ego might bring us down. We need to work and control our egos to be able to go far with our mandate.
The Man: Man is powerful and can achieve anything he sets for himself (the people of Babel). Human beings can be wicked because of their depraved nature. But, as people of God, we must strive to live above reproach.
The fact that there was the face of a man among the four means that God expects us to live beyond our weakness and in executing our mandate before God.
Like the Four Living Creatures, they were equipped and empowered according to their mandate so that they could not fail in their quest. They made sure they checked on themselves so as not to fail. In like manner, God has equipped us with all that we need to impact our spheres without failing. However, we need to rely on God for strength and power to be able to live a righteous life before God.
